The Council of Elrond
by Jessie152
Summary: Fíli is King of Erebor with his brother, Prince Kíli at his side. Decades after they reclaimed Erebor, Lord Elrond of Rivendell summons them for council to answer the threat of Mordor.
1. Chapter 1

**The Council of Elrond**

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 **Disclaimer:** The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings and all characters therein are the property of the Tolkien Estate and Wingnut Films. This story is for entertainment only and the author is in no way profiting from it, nor exercising any claims to The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.

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 **AN**.: My dear Hobbit and LOTR fans. Did you realize, that in the book and in the film some important characters are missing during the Council of Elrond? As a true BOFA denier I've taken the liberty of fixing that.

Enjoy!

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 **Chapter One**

Susurrant robes, soft footfalls and hushed murmurings...the open halls of Rivendell were packed with members of all free peoples of Middle Earth.

Kíli stood under a lofty archway, arms folded across his chest, and regarded thoughtfully the impressive gathering. He recognized only a few members of the delegations and knew nearly none of them in person. But suddenly he spotted a familiar face. ''Bilbo!'' he cried, shouldering his way through the mingling crowd.

The small, hunched figure of the Hobbit straightened and looked up, his grey hair shining in the morning sun softly filtering in the hall through open arcs. ''Kíli? Is that you, my dear lad?'' Bilbo was old now, that was plain to see. But with shaky arms he pulled the taller dwarf into a crushing embrace.

Seeing Bilbo again was a special joy. Kíli held him tight for a moment, a flood of old memories flashing through his mind.

Bilbo stood back half a step and eyed the dwarf, scrutinizing him from head to toe, frowning, one hand still on Kíli's arm. ''Well, you look good, my friend. Everything all right?''

Kíli smiled. He knew exactly what the Hobbit was referring to. ''Yes, last time I checked I was in one piece.'' He patted Bilbo's shoulder with a twinkle in his eyes. ''Look who I brought, too.'' He stepped to the side, making room for his brother, Glóin and Gimli.

''Fíli!'' Bilbo beamed, but suddenly he froze, hastily assuming a look of sheer sobriety. He bowed deeply, almost toppling over. ''At your Service, Your Majesty,'' he said with a fancy flourish of his arms.

Fíli laughed. ''Stop this, my friend,'' he said, pulling Bilbo up and embraced him, patting his back. ''Good to see you, too.''

And then Glóin and Bilbo faced each other. A moment of silence and an understanding look.

''What happened?'' Bilbo asked, pointing at the silver-white wealth of Glóins beard.

''Well,'' Glóin mused, motioning at the Hobbits grey mob of curls with one hand, stroking his beard with the other. ''Looks like something rather similar happened to you.''

They all laughed, then Bilbo turned around and pulled Frodo, who stood half hidden behind his uncle in front of him. ''My dear friends, may I introduce… my nephew Frodo Baggins''.

They four dwarves bowed, hand on heart, and Frodo returned the gesture. Oddly the following conversation escaped Kíli completely. For a long moment he locked eyes with the younger Hobbit. They never met before, but there was something, something they shared, just …something . He could see it through his eyes. The pain… the fragileness of some kind... they shared something… cursed, tainted, a Morgul-wound. A small nod and a knowing look. Kíli said nothing and the moment was gone…

* * *

The clear sound of a bell calling for council filled the lofty arcades. It was time then, and the dwarves and Hobbits entered the council chamber together.

There were men from the North and of course a delegation of elves. _Elves!_ Kíli snorted when he saw them among the crowd, moving with a fluid elegance… and then he froze, rooted to the spot: tall and slender, long white –blond hair… _Why on earth must they send THAT elf of all elves_? He stared at Legolas, clenched his teeth, flexed his hands and then he tried to ignore him the best he could. The Prince of Woodland realm almost pierced Kíli with an ice cold glare. Kíli stood firm… managed a very small tilt of his head and held his tongue.

He felt Fíli's strong, reassuring hand on his shoulder and turned his head. ''Come on, '' Fíli whispered in his ear. ''Forget about him. I think he's quite unlikely to throw us in Lord Elrond's dungeons, if there even are any. We have bigger fish to fry.''

Kíli scowled while the elves passed on, almost floating. He allowed Fíli to grab his elbow, steering him away.

''Let's see, what we have here,'' Fíli said while they took their seats.

''I'm pretty sure this is all my fault,'' Bilbo mused and slumped back in his much too big chair.''

Fíli leaned forward but before he could answer the Hobbit, Lord Elrond spoke:

''Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction; none can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom…''

 _Fate and doom_... Kíli felt a cold trickle running down his spine while Frodo placed the Ring on a stone pedestal. And he was not the only one who obviously felt uneasy. He had seen parts of those dark forces... a long time ago. And he'd just witnessed that something dark and evil was brewing in the East. And not nearly half of the present envoys could guess what had lead to all of this.

Slowly a man from Gondor rose from his chair, stepped forward and reached out for the Ring. He looked driven by some evil kind of spell. He didn't even hear Lord Elrond's warning.

And suddenly the whole place rolled with deep thunder, and a black coldness crept through the room. It appeared like Gandalf was awesomely growing while he spoke the dark cursed words secretly written on the Ring. Everyone present in the council froze and flinched. Boromir recoiled from the Ring as if burned.

 _Oh, Gandalf_ , Kíli chuckled. Fíli, Glóin and Bilbo seemed to be a bit amused as well, even if they tried hard to look seriously frightened. They'd witnessed the wizard's little trick before... in Bag End.

But the magic did its service. The man from Gondor took his seat again.

Now the council started in earnest, revealing many astonishing things. A lot of questions had to be answered, a lot of tales had to be told and legends revealed.

And finally it was the turn of Durin's Folk to convey the state of affairs in the northern lands.

Kíli exchanged a quick look with his brother, who radiated a sense of calm. Fíli slightly shook his head.

Fíli, King under the Mountain, quietly elbowed Glóin, now his most trusted Counselor, indicating him that on behalf of him he should report of all the peril gathering in Erebor's lands.

Kíli listened and watched the other envoys, sitting in the circle, while old Glóin told of the groping tendrils emanating from dark forces which reached for the Lonely Mountain, trying to gain control over the dwarven Kingdom.

 _The black rider_...he still felt the cold, creeping horrors, recalling the sound of the messenger's voice and his tainted words. But they'd stood up to him. Kíli remembered all too well standing on Erebor's parapet, a scary cold wind on his face. Like so many times before... shoulder to shoulder he stood with Fíli. A short look in his brother's eyes was all they'd needed to hold their ground. Fíli's King voice had reverberated with determination from Erebor's walls... having no issue simply telling the rider in no uncertain terms to get lost.

 _Yes_. Kíli smiled fiercely recalling that moment... unconsciously he made a fist. Though… whether that had been wise or not at that day, Kíli wasn't sure. But it had been a satisfying moment, by all means.

With the dwarves' story told, Lord Elrond assumed the duty adding more of the tales of the past, history of old, long ago… all concerning the one Ring.

This was dragging on for hours now. And Lord Elrond was just reporting events from the middle of the Second Age.

Kíli tried desperately not to fall asleep. Of course this was the most urgent decision to make …for Middle Earth... for all of them. But after all these hours of hearing back stories he couldn't help feeling exhausted, almost fuzzy-brained.

He had his elbow propped up on the armrest of the chair, chin in his hand. His head had grown much too heavy long ago. He blinked, wondering how Gimli managed to be that alert. After his elbow had slipped from the armrest for the umpteenth time, he shifted in his seat, trying to find a better position and stay awake. He looked at Fíli. His brother was obviously not doing any better. Fílis jaw was set, his lips a tight line, eyes blinking, pretending to be awake.

Kíli's thoughts wandered, musing what the outcome of this council might be. Some of what was said during the last few hours had escaped Kíli… well…admittedly a lot of it. But one thing became pretty clear to him in a terrifying plain way. Once again it deemed that someone had to go on a dangerous quest. The Ring couldn't stay in Rivendell… the Ring was not safe in this place.

All the sudden it went like a biting sting through Kíli's gut. Would Fíli take that task? Kíli felt ice-cold. It happened so many years from now, but the memories of that fateful day on the slopes of the Mountain were still crystal clear in Kíli's head, like it just had happened the day before. The battle… the whole quest…it had been close, very close… much too close for Kíli's taste.

But they represented one of the Seven Kingdoms, and they would not evade what was to come.

Though...if the Sons of Durin had learned one thing from that cursed quest all those years ago, it was this: if you want the line of succession to be secured, do not send the entire royal family into danger at the same time. He'd not wasted a single thought on that all these years back. Fíli, neither.

Loyalty, honor... a willing heart. Of course they had all of this. They still had it. But times were different now. They were older–wiser perhaps. _No_ , they shouldn't ever risk their lives again… not like this. Bad enough that the evil would show up on their doorsteps…it had shown up already, in fact.

No, Fili was King of Erebor. He couldn't do that.

So the task would be his?

Unwittingly he rubbed his right leg. A dull pain was creeping from his knee through the muscles of his right leg, making his skin tingle. His hair stood on end.

Kíli shook his head to clear his mind and caught up to the briefing.

''Why not use this ring?'' Boromir said. ''Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him.''

Kíli was instantly fully awake. _Wielding a cursed thing like that?_ What was the man of Gondor talking about? He must be insane. That was madness, Kíli knew. Better not to touch such a thing. He himself could tell a thing or two about that. And to be honest, Kíli doubted that Gondor was able to keep the lands of Middle Earth safe from Mordor's shadows.

He locked eyes with Fíli in quiet accord. A small smile… a look from his eyes. They needed no words for this. Fíli thought exactly the same.

The ranger from the north began to speak. ''You cannot wield it. None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master.''

Kíli nodded in silent agreement, even if no one noticed. The man from Gondor began to respond, annoyance written across his face. But before he could utter a single word, Lord Elrond calmingly raised his hands. ''Bilbo, it think it's time to learn your part of the story. Tell us about the Ring.''

The old hobbit was startled, but then he stood. ''Well then...'' he began, ''actually it's time for a midday meal, since the second breakfast and the 11 o'clock tea were already cancelled. But maybe you're right. After all these years, it's time to let you know what really happened.''

Kíli's tiredness was gone. He'd been there, but he'd never learned something about that part of their journey.

Bilbo was completely in his element. He talked… he talked a lot… he embellished and refined. Fíli smiled and Kíli tapped his knee. They looked at each other, Kíli winked and Fíli suppressed a small laugh, nodding. Storytelling, exactly the Hobbit's thing.

Fíli sobered again and leaned closer to whisper in his brother's ear. "Has it ever occurred to you that this evil thing was just under our noses for half of that quest?" He asked.

Kíli shook his head. ''No, never ever, but maybe it explains a lot of what went wrong those days.'' He rubbed his knee again and Fíli just made a small nod and put one hand on his shoulder.

Bilbo finished with a bow and sat.

Kíli marveled. He'd never thought that Bilbo had such a fateful encounter while they'd stood in front of that more than disgusting Orc-King and barely escaped with their lives. But all these years he'd asked himself what the Hobbit had hidden from them after they'd reunited under strange circumstances on the eastern slopes of the Misty Mountains. This put a new complexion on that day.

The further tales about the creature Gollum told by Aragorn and Gandalf were new and equally remarkable. Kíli shuddered from the sheer thought, what became of that being under the influence of such a small piece of cursed metal. Again a flash of pain flinched through his right leg.

Viewed in this light, it was probably better that the seven Rings of the Dwarves were lost, even if the circumstances were sad.

Then Kíli couldn't quite believe his ears. He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. _Aragorn left that creature with the elves? The elves?_ Well, he knew a bit about the dungeons of elves…

The next thing they heard, all of them would have preferred to forgo.

''I'm bringing bad news.'' Legolas finally confessed. ''Sméagol, who is now called Gollum, has escaped.''

..

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 **AN** : Thank you so much to my writing buddy Summerald for being my beta again and encouraging me to finish this little bit. And thanks to The Timeless Cycle, who approved that there are lot of scenes where the lads are needed through LOTR and who gave me the pleasant image of King Fíli and Prince Kíli dealing with the messenger from Mordor.

I hope you like the little story. Please leave me a note or a PM and let me know what you think.

Part two will be out next week.

Mahals Blessings, Jessie

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	2. Chapter 2

**The Council of Elrond**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings and all characters therein are the property of the Tolkien Estate and Wingnut Films. This story is for entertainment only and the author is in no way profiting from it, nor exercising any claims to The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

A murmur of disapproval rumbled through the hall. Kíli was almost out of his chair. ''You bl...'' Fíli pulled him back. Kíli turned, his long, dark hair flipping. He froze and then fell back to his seat and closed his mouth. ... _bloody wretched slouch of an elf,_ Kíli growled to himself with a heavy scowl. If looks could kill, Legolas would have ended up as a small pile of ash. After a fellowship of thirteen dwarves had escaped from their dungeons, the elves had obviously learned nothing new.

''We just intended to treat this pathetic creature kindly,'' Legolas said, making an apologetic gesture with his hands out. ''He obviously didn't appreciate it.''

Now Glóin exploded and was half out of his chair. ''What's this, you pointy eared spalpeen?'' he shouted. ''You were far less tender to _us_ ,'' he raged with a flash of his eyes. Gimli raised his axe, fuming. Thinking of his father in the elvish dungeons… unbearable.

Fíli grabbed him by the elbow and jerked him down to his seat. He was running out of arms to hold his kin back. ''Easy, cousin, easy,'' he sighed with a frustrated voice. He looked to his right.. Kíli. Then to his left... Glóin and Gimli... all together three pairs of furious eyes. Fíli hung his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose. ''Please, _ahkthuz!_ '' he commanded to his brother and his cousins. He looked up with a steel expression. More glaring from both sides but all dwarves stayed in their seats. Elves and dwarves together in one room… was that ever going to be easy?

''That is ill news indeed,'' Aragorn said. ''How came the folk of Thranduil to fail in their trust?''

Kíli's mood lightened as he recalled the state of the guards in Thranduil's cellar. He suppressed a grin and said nothing.

Gandalf raised his eyebrows and shook his head. It was his turn to reveal the last chapter of the tale of the Ring. There was still a lot to say because the tale was long. And when he was finally done, he looked down as if burdened by the weight of the story. For a moment, the council was silent.

''It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why do not use the ring?'' Boromir said.

But the wizard cut him short. ''Aragorn is right with what he said. We cannot use it.''

The Ring had to vanish from Middle Earth, once and for all. But getting this into the heads of everyone in the council was a completely different story.

''You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed,'' Lord Elrond stated.

Gimli roused from his chair, clearly running out of patience. ''Then what are we waiting for?'' He charged forward, swinging his axe.

''Gimli, **NO**!'' Fíli shouted, leaping up and dashing after him.

Kíli, half asleep again after the almost endless storytelling, jerked up and was fully awake in a flash. He was out of his chair as well **,** trying to hold Gimli back by reaching out to grab his cousin's coat.

But their younger cousin was too quick. He brought his axe down on the ring…

 **BOOM!**

A blinding flash of bright white light, debris flying everywhere, Gimli flew backwards and landed on his back, his axe destroyed.

Kíli merely managed to stay on his feet, shielding his head with his arms against the blast. From the corner of his eyes he saw Fili turning away, hands on his head.

Axe pieces were raining down on them.

Then… silence.

Slowly the dust settled.

Gimli laid still.

''Mahal's Hammer, Gimli,'' Fíli muttered, going to his knees beside his cousin. ''Are you hurt?''

Kíli slid to the other side, concerned he put one hand on Gimli's shoulder shaking him. ''Gimli, can you hear us?''

For a long Moment… no reaction. Suddenly Gimli sputtered and struggled to pull himself together. He shook his head to clear his view and then looked up to Fíli… then to Kíli… and then back, looking cross-eyed and stunned while his father leaned over him, too. Glóin was more than happy to see his son unhurt. In unison the brothers hooked their arms under Gimli's armpits, attempting to get him on his feet.

Lord Elrond seemed to be unimpressed. ''The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess. The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. The ring must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came.''

Fíli, Kíli and Gimli turned to glare at Lord Elrond. Gimli looked furious, Fíli looked hard as stone and Kíli drew his brows together with a dark glare. _Why couldn't he have said that before?_

Fíli put his hand on Gimli's arm to ensure he wouldn't fall over again. ''Are you all right?'' Gimli sat upright but he was swaying a bit, still at a loss of words.

Kíli brushed off the dust of Gimli's coat. ''I'm perhaps the last one to say it,'' he grinned. ''But sometimes it's better to think twice before you leap.''

Gimli just scowled at him.

''One of you must do this,'' Lord Elrond added.

 _Ah, that was the point_ , Kíli thought. _Another chance for the secret keepers of Middle Earth to send some of their professed friends on a suicide mission. Typical._ He glowered at Gandalf, who looked perfectly innocent.

Boromir rubbed the bridge of his nose. ''One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, ash, and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten-thousand men could you do this. It is folly.''

 _Yes_ , Kíli thought, same folly as planning to enter a dragon-infested ruined kingdom in a group of thirteen and sending a Hobbit to the front. After all these years he could hardly believe that he'd been so enthusiastic for that insanity.

Then he heard Legolas speaking and his head flew around. _What?_ What was that darned elf saying?

''Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The ring must be destroyed!'' Legolas told Boromir.

Kíli looked at Fíli again. _Fine, right… but how could we do it? And better me to see to it than Fíli. Our Kingdom needs him._ He looked back at Gimli, noticing that his cousin had been staring at him.

Suddenly, Gimli leaped up and wrangled himself out of his cousins' grip. ''And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?'' He stomped forward.

''Gimli,'' Fíli warned. ''For Mahal's sake, shut up!''

It was too late.

Gimli puffed up, but before he could answer the elf Boromir spoke again. ''And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?''

This was definitely getting out of hand.

''I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf! Never trust an Elf!'' Gimli roared.

Kíli's expression went blank and Fíli just rubbed his face. Well, Gimli was right, dwarves and elves, not a perfect match. But in this case… they needed an agreement, whatever it took.

But there were shouts, allegations… Gandalf shook his head in resignation.

Suddenly Bilbo slid from his chair. ''All right, all right, I brought that cursed thing out of the Gollum's cave, so It's my duty to ensure that we get rid of it again.''

The room silenced immediately. All heads turned and a lot of shocked doubting looks pierced the old Hobbit, only Glóin smiled but his smile came from old memories.

Gandalf hung his head and Lord Elrond raised one hand. ''No my dear friend, this task does not belong to you. The Ring had passed to Frodo, and your part in the history of the One Ring ended a long time ago.''

And before anyone could say anything more a voice... almost sounding a little scared. ''I will take it! I will take the Ring to Mordor… though… … I do not know the way.'' Frodo said.

Gandalf closed his eyes in silent despair. There it was again – he himself, just like the dwarves, had witnessed that before: the courage of Hobbits.

Gandalf took a deep breath. ''I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it's yours to bear.'' He smiled.

Aragorn rose from his seat. ''If with my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword,'' he said, going to one knee in front of Frodo.

Legolas stepped forward. ''You have my bow.''

Kíli's guts went hollow. His head was spinning. This was the moment, the moment he'd inwardly feared. Loyalty, honor and a willing heart… sure. He was a son of Durin, and he would never run from a fight. And yet…

He closed his eyes, a flood of thoughts whirling through his head. He thought of Sòley, his lady wife and he thought of his sons, and of Fíli and his family.

 _Fíli_ … Fili was King of Erebor. He had to return to the Mountain, to lead their people through whatever was lying ahead of them.

So it was his turn to represent the dwarves on this quest. Suddenly his knee burned like fire. Was he even able to go?

He took a deep, deep breath, feeling himself shaking. His vision blurred. He grabbed the armrests of his chair and was about to rise, offering his sword and bow (he was able to wield both weapons expertly after all) as well, when a heavy gloved hand firmly touched his chest, holding him back.

''No!''

Kíli blinked, looking at Gimli in disbelief. His cousin's expression was warm and kind under the rich forest of his thick beard, almost fatherly (which was odd, for Gimli was a bit younger than he). Kili paused, hands still on the armrests of the chair.

One time Gimli slightly shook his head. ''No,'' he whispered again. ''You belong with your brother, Erebor will need both of you.''

Then Gimli turned. ''And my axe,'' he said stepping up beside the others.

Kíli stood unmoving, completely at a loss for words. The he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder and turned around. He faced his brother, looking in his blue eyes which looked like they were filled with unshed tears.

 _Yes, I belong with my brother._

 _.._

 _._

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Khuzdul: _ahkthuz!_ = endure

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Thank you for reading, if you hhave a moment, please let me know what you think.

Mahal's Blessings, Jessie

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